Tonka the tiger is the largest cat at the Sanctuary. He was a former exhibit cat living in a small, non-compliant enclosure prior to arriving at The Wildcat Sanctuary.

Thanks to you, Tonka now has room to roam.

His natural enclosure provides tall grasses for stalking, a hammock to lounge on and a pool to play in.

With so much to do… cats like Tonka work up quite an appetite.

As the adage goes, “You are what you eat.” Selecting the right diet is especially important for cats because of the unique way they break down food for energy. So the simplest and most critical thing we can do to help rescued cats like Tonka is to provide them with nutritious food.

Many people assume that all the food at the Sanctuary is donated, but that’s not the case. We have to purchase assorted meats every week for the wild cats. This nutrition costs $120 a month or $1,440 per year – just to feed ONE big cat at the Sanctuary!

Won’t you help?

Meal time is a happy time at The Wildcat Sanctuary. Tonka trots up to his room and waits patiently for his food. He’s a very gentle tiger, though he’s a giant one, for sure!

We know you’re always giving toward our lifesaving work and for that, we’re forever grateful. Will you also spread the word to your friends and family, through Facebook, and word of mouth, to help us meet our goal for Tonka and the other cats?

Your gift of $120 will help feed one big cat for a month, or $40 will feed a small cat. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Because of YOU, big cats like Tonka have had a second chance at life and now live wild at heart.

The Wildcat Sanctuary (TWS) is a 501c3 non-profit, no-kill big cat rescue facility located in Sandstone, MN. TWS provides a natural sanctuary to wild cats in need and inspires change to end the captive wildlife crisis. We do not buy, breed or exhibit animals. TWS is funded solely by private donations and receives no state or federal funding. TWS is accredited by the American Sanctuary Association and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. The Sanctuary is a home for animals, not a zoo for people and is not open to the public. Combining natural and spacious habitats with a life free of exhibition or exploitation, the Sanctuary allows all residents to live wild at heart.

Any donations received above the amount of the food program will go towards the daily care of the residents and sanctuary operations.

Thank you to everyone who came together to make this year’s Jungle Boogie a wonderful success! Our annual gala is an important event for us to be able to connect with our supporters in a fun and celebratory way.

Big ROARs of appreciation to our event sponsors – The Mary L. Kenzie Foundation, RE/MAX Results, and My Pillow, as well as to our Patron Table sponsors; Pets Remembered Cremation, Ray & Rita Quist of RE/MAX Results, Simoneliers, Calliemochos, Purrfect 10, and Megan Olejniczak, and many other sponsors. We’re so proud to have so much support! Thank you!

This year, we took the opportunity to bring a focused educational message to our guests in a totally unique way. White Parties are all the rage and have been held to celebrate birthdays, raise awareness of various issues, and even to celebrate the dawn of Spring. The common theme is the color – white. Everything white!

We took that idea and put our own twist on it by throwing a White Tiger Party. Along with the celebratory toasts, silent auction wins, and delicious dinner, we were able to educate so many about the sad reality behind the breeding of white tigers. So few know the truth.

TWS is currently home to four white tigers, Nikita, Callie, Jeremy, and Simon. Though Sierra, another white tiger we rescued, has passed, she’s always in our heart, too. Just as it’s important to celebrate their rescue and new lives at TWS, it’s also important to understand why they needed rescue in the first place.

Our educational message was very well received. It included a Truth About White Tigers education booth, hosted by our Sanctuary Manager. Tigers in America provided an educational video that enlightened our guests about the plight of white tigers and the issue of inbreeding. Our printed program also contained educational articles about the plight of white tigers.

During dinner, we shared a video of Simon and Jeremy we hope will help end inbreeding.

We also gave special recognition to Dr. Micky Trent, Dr. Ralph Weichselbaum and Lynn Krapf for their extraordinary efforts to help the cats this year. We welcome each of them to the Lion Pride!

Thank you to everyone who attended, donated a silent auction items, bought raffle tickets, or helped spread the word! Jungle Boogie was a wild success!

Thank you for making tigers Caesar and Logan’s move to their new habitats possible!!

The Project

Because of YOU, the Bob Barker Animal Building and Feline Meadows new habitats are almost complete! Caesar and Logan will be moving in near the end of October! This could not have been possible without so many generous foundations, donors, volunteers and staff! Stay tuned for more pictures and videos.

2 New Tiger Habitats

We’ve completed 2 new tiger free-roaming habitats in the Feline Meadows section of the Sanctuary for Caesar and Logan. Each have a fun splash pool, multiple platforms to climb, trees and toys.

These are our largest tiger habitats.

Bob Barker Animal Building

Thanks to YOU and a $50,000 matching grant from Bob Barker, the central animal building was also able to be constructed this season. Contractors are putting on the finishing touches over the next few weeks. At the Sanctuary, the cats have outdoor free-roaming habitats but they also have access to an indoor, temperature-controlled building. The Bob Barker Animal Building will provide 13 indoor rooms for rescued big cats. Each room has a safety door to the outside, a kennel front, cozy hammock to lounge in or perch to lay on, water and more.

See the progress we have made so far!

What a great feeling knowing you’re part of creating a WILD SPACE that will give them what they need to live life to the fullest. How will your gifts help?

So please, won’t you help? Every gift is important and no gift is too small. These rescued cats will never know freedom, but with your help, they can know compassion.

DONATE TODAY!

Is there another amount you’d like to give? Simply click the DONATE button below and fill in the amount you’d like to give for the cats.

Help us create a WILD SPACE for the wild at heart today!

You can also give by mailing your check to us at: The Wildcat Sanctuary, PO Box 314, Sandstone MN 55072 or by calling 320-245-6871.

]]>Help us create WILD SPACES for The Wildcat Sanctuary’s tigershttp://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/help-us-create-wild-spaces-for-the-wildcat-sanctuarys-tigers/
Mon, 20 Jul 2015 21:06:10 +0000http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/?p=14640Each cat that comes to the sanctuary is promised several things, including nutritious food and proper veterinary care. Our promise also includes a WILD SPACE where they can choose their own path to walk and lie down, plenty of options for shade and alone time, as well as landscaping and furniture to keep their lives enriched. Cats that like water also deserve a pool or pond.

As we celebrate our rambunctious tiger cubs Jeremy and Simon’s first birthday, we know how important having WILD SPACE is for their development. Our job is to give them, and every cat we rescue, all they need to thrive.

In the past, the Sanctuary land was cleared to ensure proper drainage before building habitats and buildings. Now, it’s our priority to bring back the lush WILD SPACE each cat deserves.

YOU helped us begin this project last year when lean-to’s, several shrubs and small trees were added to the Wild Woodlands section of our Sanctuary. This year, we’ll continue our WILD SPACE campaign by bringing in larger trees, permanent structures for shade and lounging, boulders and even in-ground pools for the tigers.

There are many ways you can help! Your donations can be used for many of the following services and supplies we need to make WILD SPACE dreams come true:

Pool upgrades for Wild Woodlands habitats – $25,000

Large trees for Wild Woodlands habitats – $5,000

Excavation of Wild Woodlands habitats – $9,500

Rock & platform/perch lumber for Wild Woodlands habitats – $10,000

30” Enrichment ball $300

24” Enrichment style plastic tire $130

We can do it for them, with YOUR support!

Checks can be mailed to:

The Wildcat Sanctuary

PO Box 314

Sandstone, MN 55072

Please note your donation is for the WILD SPACE campaign.

UPDATE – Thanks to the donations we’ve received so far, we’ve started the habitat improvements and we have lots to share already! We know you’re going to love seeing the slideshow of photos we have for you HERE

Download our Sponsorship Formand mail it in with your check OR purchase your sponsorship online by clicking on the type cat you’d like to sponsor below. If there’s a particular cat you’re fond of, you can let us know that in the NOTES section of your shopping cart. Whether doing a sponsorship by mail or by credit card, sponsorship payments can be divided up into monthly installments if you let us know you’d prefer that option.“If I were to come back as a tiger, I would want to live out my days at The Wildcat Sanctuary.”

Our SPONSOR-A-WILD-ONE program lets you feel a special connection to our cats – from a safe distance! As a Sponsor Parent, you’ll receive the personal story of your sponsored wildcat along with photos. For those who would like updates throughout the year, we’ll be happy to provide you with details about your cat by email if requested at cat@wildcatsanctuary.org. You can read first-hand stories of some of our Sponsor Parents and what sponsoring a wild cat has meant to them at the bottom of this page.

The sponsorship amounts detailed below are for an entire year of sponsoring the cat of your choice. If you want to sponsor a specific animal, read about each cat here and write in the cat you’d like to choose in the memo section of the Sponsorship form you submit.

Though most of our sponsors pay in full either by check or credit card, we are happy to set up a monthly payment program for your sponsorship. There is a place to check that off on the Sponsorship form you download below or contact us at info@wildcatsanctuary.org to discuss making those arrangements. Thank you for considering this wonderful way to help the cats here at the Sanctuary!

SPONSOR BY MAIL:

BENEFITS OF BEING A SPONSOR PARENT

The desire for a human-animal connection is universal and undeniable. But we have all seen what happens when humans overstep the boundaries of that connection. The Wildcat Sanctuary advocates for keeping the wild in your heart and not in your home and envisions an end to the careless exhibiting, breeding and selling of wildlife as pets.

Meet a few of our wonderful Sponsor Parents and read what the program’s meant to them:

This is a fantastic gift to give the animal lover or avid outdoors person in your life… or show your respect for wildlife and become a Sponsor Parent yourself.

By sponsoring a cat, you are helping The Wildcat Sanctuary provide the very best care for all of the cats that reside at The Wildcat Sanctuary. The proceeds from the sponsorship program fund nutritionally balanced diets and vitamins, excellent veterinary care, free-roaming habitats, toys and enrichment. Even though your sponsorship support helps all of our cats, we encourage you to choose a cat you can get to know better.

]]>http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/sponsor-a-wild-one/feed/41Help us complete the Scarlet Veterinary Center at The Wildcat Sanctuaryhttp://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/help-us-complete-the-scarlet-veterinary-center-at-the-wildcat-sanctuary/
Tue, 19 May 2015 23:30:59 +0000http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/?p=14635The Hospital Upgrade is launching with a very important new name: THE SCARLET VETERINARY CENTER. This is in memory of Scarlet, the clouded leopard.

As I sit here in our 18’ x 26’ hospital, I’m amazed at all that has gone on here in this small space. It’s one of the most important areas of the sanctuary. It’s where preventative care is given and the toughest decisions are made. And it’s critical to our mission and the care of our animals.

So many memories here.This is where I met Ramsey the lynx and dozens of other residents as we performed their intake exams. It’s where Scarlet’s life-saving pyometra surgery took place. It’s where a team of professionals around the world joined together to perform four root canals on tiger Titan. It’s where the staff spent several days providing comfort care to caraval Zepo before we said good-bye.

This small space has done some big things to help so many cats. And with our growing geriatric population and ongoing medical needs, more is needed. And you can help.

So why is the onsite hospital so important?

Each resident’s intake exam is performed which entails sedating the cat, inserting a microchip, doing a full exam and radiographs, drawing blood and giving vaccines

Radiographs are performed for diagnostics and on aging cats to assess arthritic changes

More space for comfort care for the cats needing long term care, quarantine or recovery

More adequate equipment for visiting specialists and our own resident veterinarian

Expanded educational opportunities for future veterinarians

Donor and education opportunities to see the important work we do firsthand through a safe viewing area

The cost this year could run over $100,000! Sponsorships are available for each piece of equipment, everything needed for its function, as well as future naming rights for the new wing. Sponsorships will also be available for the future food preparation building.

Will you help today? Thank you for being there for them and part of this landmark project at TWS!

Please note if your online gift is for the hospital in the comments section.

Checks can be mailed to:

The Wildcat Sanctuary

PO Box 314

Sandstone, MN 55072

Please note your donation is for the hospital.

]]>Commemorative Bricks and Bencheshttp://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/commemorative-bricks-benches/
Fri, 12 Jul 2013 22:34:11 +0000?p=3399Purchasing a commemorative brick is a perfect for family, friends and pets. Your purchase will also help care for the animals at The Wildcat Sanctuary including food, enrichment, enclosures and much more. For as little as $100 you can be a part of The Sanctuary by purchasing a commemorative brick to be placed in the Memorial Garden or Welcome Center.

These bricks are a great way to recognize children, grandchildren, marriages, and other special events, or a lasting memorial for a loved one or pet. They are also unique gifts, and perfect for any occasion. You are allowed 16 characters for engraving. Download form here

PRODUCT: Commemorative Bench — $550.00
1 line on your own bench. Additional lines can be engraved for $100 each line.
Please email cat@wildcatsanctuary.org to purchase a bench.

Please note that bricks and bench lines need to be purchased in bulk, therefore, your order today may need to wait to be produced with a batch. Entire benches can be produced as soon as you place your order. We will send you a photo via email of your brick/bench once it arrives.

]]>Other ways to help…http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/other-ways-to-help/
http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/other-ways-to-help/#respondThu, 04 Jul 2013 23:19:57 +0000?p=1664Touching people one by one will make a meaningful difference.

Schools: Meet with your school’s teachers and principal and let them know that you don’t want wild animals brought into the schools. It is dangerous for the kids and the people who do that can only use the animals while they are babies and then they are discarded. Sponsoring a rescued animal is a perfect way to show support for a school’s mascot without exploiting animals.

Host your own event: Implement a penny or supply drive. Host a rummage sale and donate the proceeds. A yard sale or any number of little events can raise a lot of money if enough people do them. It is a great way to get your family, friends and neighbors involved.

Educational booths: If you check the social calendars in your area you will probably be surprised how many events there are for non-profit walks, pet adoptions, single’s groups, etc. Ask if you can set up an informational booth. You can print photos from our website and make your own display. We can provide provide brochures and newsletters but the rest is up to you and your creativity.

Try your ideas out and if they work, send the money to the cats and send us a story that we can share with others about your great work.

Order Magazines to raise money for the cats

Mags4Cats Online Fundraising Campaign has just kicked off and your participation is the key to our success!

You can help by inviting your friends and family to shop at our online magazine store. They can choose from over 650 magazine subscriptions at up to 85% savings, and our group will get 40% of each purchase amount! And magazines are a great gift idea!

And you can get great prizes too! When you invite 12 people and sell one magazine subscription, you get a FREE movie ticket!

Pennies to search

What if The Wildcat Sanctuary earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause.

Food Perspectives Inc. is a consumer testing company headquartered in Plymouth, MN. Their clients are major manufacturers of consumer food products who hire them to help gain a better understanding of consumer likes and dislikes. We are looking for men and women ages 18-65 willing to take part in as many as 6 product tests per year. Each time the testers participate, TWS will be credited $9. The individual will receive $21-$36 with the option of keeping the funds or signing the full amount over to TWS.

Please include your friends and family!
Remember – The more people who participate, the more money for TWS!!

]]>http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/other-ways-to-help/feed/0Donate to the Memorial Medical Fundhttp://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/donate-to-the-memorial-medical-fund/
Thu, 04 Jul 2013 00:15:31 +0000?p=6442If you own a pet, you know how quickly medical expenses add up. When they’re young, there’s the cost of spaying/neutering and vaccinations. As they age, there’s the cost of the typical aches, pains, and diseases associated with growing old.

The expenses we face for our wild cats are substantial. Most have survived lives of neglect, abuse, and malnutrition. They haven’t been lucky enough to experience quality medical care their entire lives – until now.

Treating and rehabilitating these animals, some needing long-term special care, can easily become financially overwhelming – if not for the generosity of our supporters. We must raise money to cover the daily out-of-pocket medical expenses and veterinary care. Your gift can help honor those who have passed and care for those who call TWS home.

Through our Memorial Medical Fund, there are many ways you can help us keep an eye on their well-being:

As our population grows older like Layla the tiger, your donations will help provide the pain medication and supplements the cats need to continue enjoying a good quality of life.

Our new rescues will receive the vaccines, microchips, blood work, and lab tests that will allow them to transition from quarantine to large, free roaming habitats with our other residents.

Our special needs cats – like Morocco the serval, who is in need of Vitamin B for his thiamine deficiency – will receive the expensive, daily medications they need to survive.

Dental care is seen as a luxury that most exotic owners don’t provide. That’s why our rescues come to us suffering from painful dental disease that affects their overall health and well-being. Dental equipment is expensive – but critical – in order to assure a pain free life for cats like Titan the tiger.

Though we have an on-site hospital, funds are needed to pay for the anesthesia, the X-Ray machine chemicals, the maintenance of the hospital equipment, etc.

It all adds up so quickly! Won’t you help us today by donating whatever you can for their care?

]]>Memorial Gardenhttp://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/memorial-garden/
http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/memorial-garden/#commentsSat, 26 Mar 2011 23:14:25 +0000?p=1645The Wildcat Sanctuary’s Memorial Garden is a beautiful spot in the middle of the Sanctuary that allows staff, volunteers, and our generous donors to celebrate the lives of the animals that are no longer with us. We can gather here while watching Titan playing in Tiger Splash or watch the cougars chasing each other in Cougar Cove.

If you’re looking for the perfect way to honor family, friends, or pets with a meaningful gift, you can purchase a commemorative brick or a bench for The Memorial Garden that would help provide food, enrichment, habitats and much more. For as little as $100, you can be a part of this special area of the Sanctuary by purchasing a commemorative brick to be placed there near Tiger Splash and Cougar Cove. Order Today!

Each time a resident passes, a Memorial plaque can be ordered to honor their memory and to celebrate their freedom.

With your help we’re able to do so much for the animals while they’re here with us, so it‘s nice that we all have a place to reflect on what we’ve accomplished. The pavilion also includes imprints of Titan and Lilly’s paw prints in the concrete.

The Wildcat Sanctuary has also established the Legacy Pride Bequest Program as a way for our supporters to leave a precious legacy and continue to support the sanctuary, long after they’re gone. By including The Wildcat Sanctuary in your estate plans, you can leave a legacy memorializing a lifetime of compassion for animals. Through a planned gift you can guarantee that your voice for wildcats carries on, until they are protected from abuse forever.